Two-piece spray plug



y WW P. A. MARCHANT 3,519,208

TWO-PIECE SPRAY PLUG Filed June 10, 196? F T571 40 28 46 ;"26 I z INVENTOR. PAUL A. MARCHANT United States Patent Office 3,519,208 Patented July 7, 1970 U.S. Cl. 239327 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A spray emitting squeeze bottle comprising a resilient squeezable container having a hollow neck portion supporting a spray orifice structure and a check valve means, such that the check valve will permit air to enter the container when it is resiliently expanding, and to prevent air from escaping from the container through the check valve,

when the container is squeezed so that compression of air in the container may cause liquid and air to be mixed and expelled through a spray orifice to attain a fine mist propulsion of fluid from the container.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a spray emitting squeeze bottle, and more particularly, to a spray emitting squeeze bottle for use in expelling a fine mist of various fluid products from a container.

Various spray emitting squeeze bottle devices have been utilized for spraying various fluids, such as perfumes, deodorants, and other materials; however, many of these prior art devices have been unsatisfactory due to the fact that spray delivered therefrom at times occurs in large droplets rather than a fine mist. Additionally, prior art squeeze containers, after having their side wall structures squeezed inwardly to expel fluid mist, tend to remainin a partially collapsed condition for a considerable amount of time before the partial vacuum created in the container by the resilient side walls thereof is relieved to allow the container to expand to its original shape. This fault renders a squeeze bottle spray dispenser very slow and unsatisfactory in operation. It will be understood that each time the side walls of such a spray emitting squeeze bottle are forced together, that a certain amount of spray is emitted through the orifice of the container. However, one or two squeeze dispensing cycles of the container may not be sufficient to cover the desired area with spray mist. Accordingly, it is important that the cycles of operation are very rapid, whereby the container may resiliently return from a partially collapsed condition to a fully distended condition in a very short period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a spray emitting squeeze bottle particularly adapted to expel a fine mist of various fluids from a container. The invention also comprises novel check valve means adapted to. permit very rapid cycling of the squeeze bottle operation, such that the resilient side wall structure of the bottle or container will very rapidly recover from a partially collapsed condition to a fully distended condition during each cycle of operation.

More specifically, the invention comprises a container having a hollow neck provided with an open end in which is fitted a plug valve member carrying a dip tube and spray orifice structure communicating therewith. Novel check valve and seat structures are located at the inner end of said plug valve member; said check valve seat being disposed adjacent to a plate type check valve member responsive to pressure differentials thereacross. The plate valve member being supported in slightly spaced relation to the seat of the plug valve member by means of a shoulder structure internally of the bore of the hollow neck of the container, all of which provides a very simple structure which operates efliciently to attain high cycle rate squeeze bottle operation and eflicient fine mist dispensation of fluids from the interior of the squeeze bottle container of the invention.

Additionally, the invention includes novel specific plug valve structure comprising a pair of concentric hollow cylindrical portions which are integral with each other and connected by an annular portion forming a valve seat. Air inlet passages extend through the annular portion and to the seat which is adjacent to a disc-shaped plate type check valve member which is movable in accordance with the pressure differential thereacross to close or open in response to squeezing or release, respectively, of the squeezable container of the invention. The invention comprising an inner cylindrical portion of said plug valve member provided with a bore and having inwardly extending ribs frictionally supporting a dip tube in spaced relation to a spray orifice forming an outlet for fluids from the container, and wherein an air outlet passage means passes around the outer end of said dip tube adjacent said spray orifice to provide for mixing of air with liquid to attain eflicient dispensation of a fine spray mist from the squeeze bottle container of the invention.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spray emitting squeeze bottle which is provided with a resilient squeezable wall structure and an air controlling check valve structure, all of which serves to permit high squeeze bottle cycle rate operation when successively dispensing jets of fine spray mist from the container of the invention.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spray emitting squeeze bottle which is particularly adapted to efliciently emit a fine mist and which does not tend to dispense large droplets of liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel air and liquid mixing passage means including a dip tube and an outlet orifice which is very simple in construction and very efficient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel spray emitting squeeze bottle having very simple discshaped plate valve structure provided with a large central opening therein surrounding a dip tube and providing a very compact structure for efliciently controlling and checking the passage of air into and out of the container, and for mixing air with liquid to attain a very desirable fine spray mist dispensation of fluids from the container.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a spray emitting squeeze bottle of the present invention, showing a platetype check valve structure thereof in section and showing a plug valve and dip tube structure thereof in elevation;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan sectional view taken from the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view taken from the line 33 of FIG. 2, showing the structure on the same scale as that shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 44 of FIG. 3, showing the structure on the same scale as that shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of FIG. 3, showing the structure thereof on the same scale as that shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a plan sectional view taken from the line '6-6 of FIG. 1, showing by broken lines deflected posi- 3 tions of opposite side wall structures of the resilient squeeze bottle container of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, the invention comprises a hollow resilient squeeze bottle container 10. This container is provided with resilient opposed side walls 12 and 14, as shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, and these resilient side walls 12 and 14 may be oppositely compressed into deflected positions, as indicated by broken lines 16 and 18 in FIG. 6 of the drawings.

When the opposite side wall structures 12 and 14 are forced into these broken line positions 16 and 18, air may be compressed in an upper area 20 internally of the container above an existing liquid level 22 as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

It will be understood that various liquids may be disposed in the container 10 and the liquid level may vary according to use and the cross-sectional displacement or cubic displacement of the container 10, and in accordance with the desired package requirements.

In many instances, perfumes, deodorants or other liquid materials may be packaged in these squeeze bottle containers, if desired.

The container 10 is provided with a hollow cylindrical neck portion 24 having a bore 26 in which a plug valve member 28 is sealingly disposed adjacent to a plate valve member 30 which serves as a check valve. The plate valve member 30 is operable between a ledge structure 32 and a seat end 34 of the plug valve member 28. The ledge 32 is an annular ledge directed inwardly relative to the bore 26 and supports one side of the plate valve member 30 in slightly spaced relation to the seat end 34 of the plug valve member 28, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it will be seen that the hollow cylindrical neck portion 24 is provided with external helically disposed screw thread portions 36 engaged by complemental screw thread portions disposed internally of the skirt 38 of a screw on cap 40. This cap 40 may or may not have a gasket 42 on the inner side thereof. However, the gasket 42, as shown, bears on a thin axially disposed rim or ledge 44 to seal against an outer end of the plug valve member 28. This plug valve member .28 is provided with a radially disposed flange 46 engaging an open end 48 of the hollow cylindrical neck 24 of the container 10, and thus the flange 46 bearing on the open end of the neck 24 maintains the seat 34 in spaced relation to the plate valve member 30 which is engageable with the ledge structure 32, hereinbefore described.

The plug valve member 28 is composed of a pair of concentric hollow cylindrical portions, including an outer hollow cylindrical portion 50, having a peripheral portion 52 pressed into the bore 26 of the hollow cylindrical neck 24 and sealingly engaged therein. The periphery of the hollow cylindrical portion of the plug valve member 28 is provided with an integral outwardly extending seal rim 54 which is highly compressed when forced into the bore 26 of the hollow cylindrical neck 24.

The hollow cylindrical portion 50 of the plug valve member 28 is radially spaced from and surrounds an inner hollow cylindrical portion 56 which is generally an inverted cup-shaped structure, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. Spacing of the hollow cylindrical structures 50 and 56 provides an air passage annulus space 58 which communicates directly with an annular generally ring-shaped portion 60 which integrally interconnects the hollow cylindrical portions 50 and 56 of the plug valve member. This ring-shaped integral annular portion 60 is disposed at the normally inner ends of the hollow cylindrical portions 50 and 56, and forms the annular valve seat end 34 of the plug valve member 28.

As shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, a plurality of air inlet openings 62 extend through the annular portion 60 4 to form air inlet passages. These openings 62 are disposed in a generally annularly-shaped row and communicate directly with the annular seat end 34 of the plug valve member 28. These openings thus communicate directly with a seat engaging surface 64 of the plate valve member 30 which operates a check valve adapted to move in accordance with a pressure differential acting thereon between the ledge structure 32 and the seat surface 34, as will be hereinafter described.

It will be seen that the plate valve member 30 is provided with an opening 66 surrounding a dip tube 68. The opening 66 being substantially larger than the crosssection of the dip tube 68 so as to permit air to pass through the opening 66 around the dip tube 68, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

The inner hollow cylindrical portion 56 of the plug valve member 28 is provided with an outer end 70 which is substantially enclosed except for a spray emitting orifice 72 which extends therethrough, and which is substantially concentric with the dip tube 68 at its outer open end 74, all as shown best in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the hollow cylindrical portion 56 of the plug valve member 28 is provided with a bore 76 which is open at 78 toward the interior of the container 10. Integral with the hollow cylindrical portion 56 and extending inwardly into the bore 76 are generally axially disposed ribs 80 which frictionally hold the periphery of the dip tube 68 slightly compressed to maintain it in concentric relation with the bore 76 and to hold it in the hollow cylindrical portion 56 of the plug valve member 28. Other structures may be used to hold the dip tube 68, such as a triangularly shaped portion in place of bore 76 and ribs 80.

The inner end 74 of the dip tube 68 bears against ledges 82 to maintain said end 74 spaced from air passages 84 which extend beyond the end 74 of the clip tube 68, and communicate with the spray emitting orifice 72. These passages 84 permit air to pass upwardly between the inwardly extending ribs 80 in the bore 76 and in an aspirating function around the end 74 of the dip tube 68 as the air passes outward through the spray orifice 72 and atomizes fluid drawn or forced through the bore 88 of the dip tube 68. A lower open end 90 of the dip tube 68 communicates with a lowermost inner portion of the container 10, as shown best in FIG. 1 of the drawings.

In operation, liquid and air is dispensed in a fine spray mist from the orifice 72 when the side wall structures 12 and 14, as shown in FIG. 6, are compressed inwardly substantially to broken lined positions 16 and 18, as shown in FIG. 6. Thus, the resilient container of the invention is substantially collapsed which causes a pressure differential across the plate valve 30 causing it to operate as a check valve and to move into engagement with the annular seat 34 to close the openings 62 of the air inlet passage and to prevent air from passing outwardly therethrough. Thus, the air is forced to pass through the bore 76 of the inner hollow cylindrical portion 56 of the plug valve member 28 and upwardly through the passages 84 in a aspirating function around the open end 74 of the dip tubes 68, and to cause at this area, mixing of air and liquid toforce the liquid and air outwardly through the orifice 72 in a fine spray mist.

The fine spray mist is caused efliciently to be produced due to the aspirating effect of the air passing through. the passages 84 around the open end 74 of the liquid dip tube 68. As the air passes through the orifice 72 carrying liquid, the air is compressed and the velocity thereof is greatly increased as the air and liquid emerges from the orifice 72. The air tending to expand at this point breaks up the liquid into a fine mist and during expansion of the air at the outlet of the orifice 72, the fine mist is formed and propelled at fairly high velocity. This function prevents the dispensation of large droplets and promotes the delivery of a fine spray mist.

It will be seen that the Simple construction of the invention involves frictional support of the dip tube 68 by the ribs 80 in such a manner that the air may flow upwardly in the bore 76 around the dip tube, while the dip tube 68 conducts liquid in the bore 88 thereof. It will be understood, that since the pressure of the air and the liquid is the same, that the aspirating effect of the air passing through the passages 84 at the open end 74 of the dip tube 68 causes the liquid to be entrained in the compressed air as it passes through the orifice 72 and expands outwardly thereof to efficiently atomize the liquid into a -fine spray mist and propel it at high velocity as the air expands from its relatively compressed condition inside the container 10.

Each time the container 14 of the invention is squeezed to the position, as shown in FIG. 6, and released, the plate-type check valve 30 moves backward into engagement with the ledge 32 and opens the air inlet passage comprising the openings 62 which are of large crosssectional area communicating with the annulus 58. The air thus quickly passes through these openings 62 and the large central opening 60 in the plate-type check valve 30 around the dip tube 68 and into the container 10 to allow the resilient side wall structures 12 and 14 to again move outwardly to the solid line position, shown in FIG. 6. The invention is thus quickly ready for a subsequent cycle of operation. Thus, a very high cycle rate of the invention is due to quick recovery of the side wall structures of the container by reason of the fact that the check valve 30 and the air inlet passages are of large cross-sectional area providing a low pressure dilferential about the check valve 30, all as hereinbefore described.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

1 claim:

1. In a spray emitting squeeze bottle, the combination of: a resilient flexible bottle-like container having squeezable side wall structures adapted to permit air to be compressed in said container; said container having a generally hollow neck portion provided with an open end; said neck having a bore extending inwardly from said open end; a shoulder structure carried by said neck and extending radially inward from said bore; a plate valve member freely movable axially in said bore and engagable with said shoulder structure to limit movement of said plate valve member in one direction in said bore; a plug valve member sealingly engaged in said bore and spaced from said plate valve member when said plate valve member is engaged with said shoulder structure; said plug valve member having a seat engageable by said plate valve member, said plug valve member having an air inlet passage communicating with said seat, said inlet passage extending to an area outside said open end of said neck, said plate valve member responsive to a pressure differential thereacross, when said container is squeezed or released, whereby said plate valve member is movable into engagement with said seat or into engagement with said shoulder structure, respectively, said plate valve member functioning as acheck valve tending to prevent air from escaping from said inlet passage when said container is squeezed, and tending to permit air to enter said inlet passage when said container is released; said plate valve member having an opening therein; a dip tube carried by said plug valve member and extending through said last mentioned opening and into said container; said plug valve member having a spray orifice communicating with said dip tube; said spray orifice being open to an area beyond said open end of said neck portion; and a second passage in said plug valve member disposed at the juncture of said dip tube and said orifice for conducting compressed air from the interior of said container to said orifice while said dip tube conducts liquid to said orifice when said side wall structure of said container is squeezed, and whereby release of said side wall structure allows it resiliently to distend and create a partial vacuum in said container, such that air is drawn inward through said air inlet passage to force said plate valve away from said seat toward said shoulder structure and to permit said air to enter said container.

2. In a spray emitting squeeze bottle, the combination of: a resilient flexible bottle-like container having squeezable side wall structure adapted to permit air to be compressed in said container; said container having a generally hollow cylindrical neck portion provided with an open end; said neck having a :bore extending inwardly from said open end and terminating in an inwardly projecting shoulder; a plug valve member sealingly engaged in said bore; a rigid, normally open check valve seated on said shoulder cooperable with said plug valve member; said plug valve member having an air inlet passage communicating with said check valve when said check valve is in the closed position, said air inlet passage extending to an area outside said open end of said neck, said check valve responsive to a pressure differential thereacross, when said container is squeezed or released, whereby said check valve is moved into the closed position when said container is squeezed to close said inlet passage, and whereby said check valve is opened when said container is released and resiliently expands to create a partial vacuum in said container, and whereby said check valve, when in open position, thus permits air to flow inwardly through said air inlet passage into said container; a dip tube carried by said plug valve member and extending into said container through an opening provided in said check valve, said opening having a greater diameter than said dip tube to permit passage of air therebetween; said plug valve member having a spray orifice communicating with said dip tube; said spray orifice being open to an area beyond said open end of said neck portion; and a second passage in said plug valve member disposed at the juncture of said dip tube and said spray orifice for conducting compressed air to said orifice while said dip tube conducts liquid to said orifice when said wall structure of said container is squeezed, and whereby release of said side wall structure of said container allows it resiliently to distend and create a partial vacuum in said container, such that air is drawn inwardly through said air inlet passage to force said check valve open and to permit said air to enter said container.

3. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said plug valve member is composed of a pair of concentric hollow cylindrical portions integrally interconnected by a substantially annular integral portion adacjent said seat, and wherein said inlet passage is composed of a generally annular row of openings extending through said annular portion and communicating with said seat; an innermost one of said concentric cylindrical portions being a substantially inverted cup-shaped structure when said container is in upright position, said spray orifice being in an outer end of said innermost cylindrical portion; said innermost cylindrical structure having a central bore therein provided with a plurality of spaced inwardly extending ribs; said dip tube frictionally engaged between said ribs; said second passage being disposed at an end of said dip tube adjacent said orifice, and ledge means supporting said last mentioned end of said dip tube in spaced relation to said orifice and said second passage, whereby air from the interior of said container may pass between said inwardly extending ribs around said dip tube and through said second passage to said spray orifice; said spray orifice being disposed concentrically of said last mentioned bore and substantially in concentric alignment with said last mentioned end of said dip tube.

4. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: aid plate valve is a generally disc-shaped structure having one side adjacent said seat and an opposite side adjacent said ledge structure.

5. The invention, as defined in claim 3, wherein: said plate valve member is a substantially disc-shaped structure having one side disposed adjacent said seat and an opposite side adapted to engage said ledge structure; said opening in said plate valve member being concentric with the disc-shaped structure thereof and communicating directly with said openings of said first mentioned passage means when said opposite side of said plate valve member is engaged with said ledge structure.

6. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: a peripheral portion of said plug valve member is provided with seal means disposed between said bore of said hollow neck and said periphery of said plug valve member, said seal being integral with said plug valve member and being adapted to sealingly engage the bore of the neck.

7. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said plug valve member is provided with a radially extending shoulder engagable radially beyond said bore portion of said neck at said open end thereof for spacing said seal of said plug valve member relative to said plate valve member when said plate valve member is engaged with said shoulder structure.

8. The invention, as defined in claim 7, wherein: said hollow neck structure is provided with externally disposed screw threaded portions; and said plug valve member is provided with an axially extending annular rim portion disposed to serve as a seal surface; and a cap screw threaded on said externally screw threaded portions of said neck and having means sealingly engagable with said axially extending rim portion of said plug valve memher.

9. The invention, as defined in claim 1, wherein: said plug valve member is composed of a pair of concentrically spaced hollow cylindrical portions, a radially outermost one of said hollow cylindrical portions having a periphery sealingly fitted in said bore of said neck; an inner one of said hollow cylindrical portions concentrically spaced from the interior of said outer hollow cylindrical portion to form an open annulus between said hollow cylindrical portions, said annulus communicating with space outward beyond said open end of said neck; said inner hollow cylindrical portion being a substantially inverted cup-shaped structure when said container is in upright position, said inner hollow cylindrical portion having an open end directed inward toward the interior of said container and having an outer end substantially enclosed and in which said spray orifice is concentrically located; said plug valve member having an annular portion at its inner end, said annular portion forming with said seat and being integral with the inner ends of said pair of hollow cylindrical portions to maintain them in connected juxtaposition relative to each other; said air inlet passage comprising a plurality of openings extening through said annular portion and communicating with saidannulus; said seat being annular and overlying said openings; said plate valve member having an annular surface adapted sealingly to engage said annular seat; said inner hollow cylindrical portion having a bore provided with inwardly extending ribs; said dip tube compressively and frictionally held between said ribs so that air may pass between said ribs around said dip tube; said second passage means recessed in said substantially enclosed end of said second cylindrical portion beyond an outermost end of said dip tube and communicating with spaces between said ribs, and also communicating with said spray orifice; ledge means disposed radially outward from said second passage means and forming a support for said outermost end of said dip tube to maintain it in spaced relation with said spray orifice and to allow communication of air beyond the end of said dip tube and with said spray orifice.

10. The invention, as defined in claim 9 wherein: said opening in said plate valve member is substantially larger than the cross-section of said dip tube to allow air to pass from said said first passage therethrough and into said container, and to allow air to pass from said container and into said inner hollow cylindrical portion between said ribs and around said tube to said second passage and outward through said spray orifice.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,515,193 7/1950 Chester 222-143 3,176,883 3/1965 Davis 239-327 M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner G. A. CHURCH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 222193, 477 

